Book Vs. Show: Bridgerton

Yes, I went that road. Since I’ve been seeing nothing but Bridgerton this and Bridgerton that, I decided to take a stab at it one night and actually watch the Netflix Original. Eight episodes later and I realized, I actually enjoyed it. So when I found out it’s an adaptation, I decided to grab the book and read it. Truth be told, I actually liked the show better, but there are some things in the book I enjoyed as well.

************************************SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!*******************************************

Let’s take the relationship between Simon and Daphne first. The show, I feel, did an amazing job drawing in the audience and taking them into a roller coaster ride between the two main characters and the whole entire time you’re at the edge of the seat waiting for them to finally get together. It took five episodes out of the 8 for them to finally be together and even then, the climactic event didn’t really happen until the second last episode. Which to some would say, that’s fast. However, the novel took it to hyper speed. The Duke and I, which is the equivalent of the first season of Bridgerton, didn’t really take much time on the “courting” scene. If you feel like the show was a whirlwind, then the novel will give you whiplash. I barely got halfway into the novel when everything happened and the two were already married. The book, I find, took time in the character’s married life to give us a sense of how the two are together as man and wife. Plus, you have to realize that this is a novel that’s set in Regency England, therefore, sexy time needs to happen after they are wedded. So wed they did and sexy time they did. That’s another difference in the novel and the show, if you think the show was scandalous, then definitely the novel will leave you blushing up to your roots. Mind you, its now 50 Shades of Grey, but then it will still leave you a bit, disoriented. (hahaha…)

Ok, let’s move on. The one thing that is evidently, sparklingly different between the two format is the characters. I have to say, not all the characters in the show are present in the novel, which I find is the greatest downfall of the novel. Mind you, the novel came out first, but I feel that the show did an amazing job in creating such fascinating minor characters. I don’t think the show would have been as amazing if the show only took the characters from the novel. The Duke and I, centered on Simon and Daphne and their budding relationship. Even if they did touch on the other characters, they we’re not as well developed (ahem, Lady Danbury). If anything, the one thing I would have liked the show to have portrayed more is the relationship of the siblings. Yes, you see the comradeship and the love between the siblings in Bridgerton, but I find that the novel did a an amazing job in conveying the love between the siblings compared to the show. Especially, the relationship between Colin and Daphne. They did have that moment when Daphne presented herself to help out Colin, but from the perspective of the audience, it seems like she’s doing it to save her family name, when really in the novel, Colin and Daphne have a great bond between each other. To be honest, I can go on and on with the characters. The Netflix Original just had such a diverse and vibrant character that it definitely overshadowed the novel. Which, brings us to our third point. Diversity.

Yes, definitely the characters were a lot more diverse than the novel itself. You have to understand this was set in Regency England and back then the color of your skin mattered a lot. Your race and even your breeding was always questioned. However, the show took all that and threw it out the window and thank god they did. Can you imagine a different Duke of Hastings, or even a different Lady Danbury! Blasphamy! Anyways, who ever did the castings for Bridgerton deserves to have a raise! Each and every actor who was brought in to make the characters a live did justice to the author. Every single character was properly developed and was given their own time to shine, even Nigel Berbrooke. Which for an 8 episode show, I think is an amazing feat.

Ok, so that’s really the major differences between the novel and the show. There are still small little details, like Simon’s dad is really not as evil as he was towards his mother, or that there really wasn’t a Prince of Prussia present in the novel, but like I said minor details. That being said, as I’ve stated before, I really do prefer the show more than the book, which for me is a first. The changes that the show made in terms of character diversity, personality traits and developments really did make the show stand out more than the novel. I’m not much of a binge watcher, or even a show watcher, but Bridgeton made every single episode unique and didn’t drag out the storyline to suite their pockets, instead its straightforward and to the point.

Oh, P.S. I wasn’t fan of the extended epilogue. Just saying.

A Wedding in December

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis: In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.

Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…

Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!

Review: It’s been a loooooong time since I read a straight out romance novel and to be honest, the whole time I was just waiting for someone to be murdered and then I would remember that it was a romance novel. I found it hilarious and sad at the same time. You know that I read way too many mystery novels. Other than that I actually quiet enjoyed reading experience, would I pick up another romance novel, probably not anytime soon, but at least I was able to pick up one that was a great read.

Anyways, I really wanted a Christmas novel to read during December. Something light, fluffy and one that I didn’t really need to think about. When I came across this novel on Overdrive I decided to give it a chance. It was a good read to be honest. It’s a very atmospheric novel, one where you want to be present in rather than just reading it. I think the author did an amazing job with the picturesque scenery and the wonderful descriptions of the whole town. I’ve never been to Aspen, and from the looks of it, I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it, but because of this novel, it’s now in my bucket list.

Besides the setting of the whole novel, the characters were actually pretty well written. I think the family dynamic is amazing and I love that each of them grow at the end of the novel. I definitely loved the ending of this novel. It’s not really as light and fluffy as I wanted it to be because it does touch on some difficult situations between couples. Yes, I was still waiting for someone to be murdered and their body to be hidden in the snow, but hey, that’s just me. I do wish that there was some mystery in this novel, that would make this an amazing read, but its a romance novel so I can’t really hate it for that.

If you want a heart warming novel to read by the fire then this is definitely a book that you want to read. It has a lot more substance than a straight on romance novel because it does deal with some life obstacles that you don’t necessarily see in a romantic novel. That being said, it’s still a great read. The characters, the setting, and the atmosphere makes this novel an ideal book to read during the holidays.

November Wrap-up and December TBR

I’m sorry to say but my November wrap-up is not as great as my previous months. I’ve been super busy with everything going on around me that I just didn’t have the energy to pick up a book. I read 3 books for the whole month, and to be honest, none of them were that exciting.

Here are the books I read for November:

I swear I read 3 books but for the life of me I can’t remember the second book I read. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco was a book I wanted to read for October, but never got a chance to pick it up. I’m actually really glad that I did because I did enjoy it. I love the little haunting aspect of the novel, but the storyline was a bit underwhelming. I don’t suggest reading this at night though if you have an overactive imagination.

Anyways, that’s it for the books I read for November. Like I said, it’s not much of a read, but at least I got some books in. I’m hoping that December will be a better reading month. The Holidays does get a bit crazy, but considering the previous months for me, at least I have a stable schedule. I am starting my new work again. Hopefully, I’ll have a better rhythm before the New Year.

DECEMBER TBR

I’m not going to have an actual TBR for December. I’m feeling very festive so I’m trying to look for books that are set during Christmas, but I’m having a hard time finding one that I’ll enjoy. Anyways, I’ll see what happens.

October Wrap-up and November TBR

This is a very long overdue wrap up for the month of October. As I’ve said before, I’ve been so busy that I wasn’t even able to post my wrap-up and tbr. I guess it’s better late than never.

Last month, I was able to read nine books altogether including the four books I wanted to read for the readathon I participated in. Unfortunately, I was unable to post a wrap-up for that as well, so I’m including everything here.

These are the five books I read for “fun”, which is not part of my readathon wrap-up. I’ve been addicted to cozies the whole year, and It hasn’t subsided. This month (November) I feel that it’s slowly leaving my system, but I think I’m just slowly getting into a reading slump. Anyways, these books are from series that I’ve started so I’m not going to go through them.

These are the books I read for the Frightfall readathon. It technically started in September, but I didn’t start until October. To be honest, October wasn’t such a great reading month for me and I think that’s the reason why I’m in a bit of a slump. I’m most likely going to be writing a review for these books, but I’ll do that later in the month (maybe December?).

So that’s it for my October wrap-up. I’m not going to be posting a November TBR since technically the month is almost done. I haven’t been reading much and the books that I have been picking up are not that great. Oh well. Hopefully, I’ll try to read something light for next month (December) and it will prepare me for January.

Update on my MIA

Omg the year is almost done and I feel that I haven’t been able to read books that I wanted to get to. I know I’ve been MIA and trust me I haven’t been doing much reading lately.

As many of you know, I recently moved and I didn’t realize how difficult and tiring it is to a move. I seriously thought it would take only a month or two, but four months later, we’re still living in boxes and all our furniture that we ordered are all still in backorders. As crazy as it seems, we are definitely ecstatic on our new place. We love every minute of the house hunting, the purchasing and the living in an actual house. You never really realize what you’re missing until you actually try it out.

Anyways, I just needed to come in here and update everyone. I’m planning on coming back in December and posting a bit more regular. To be honest, I had to put a lot of my life on hold because of all the changes that was occurring, unfortunately, this is one of them. I’m hoping now that things are starting to settle down and the holidays is soon approaching, things will slowly get back on track.

That being said, I’m planning on posting my TBR Challenge next week and also my wrap up for last month. So that’s it for my little chit chat and an update on my life!

TBR Challenge #9: Danger

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye

Rating: 3.5/5

Why? I wanted to read something different for October and I though a teenage serial killer in the 1900’s is the way to go. Plus, it’s also a “re-telling” of Jane Eyre, so why not.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre.

Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked – but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.

A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him – body, soul and secrets – and what if he discovers her murderous past?

Review: I have mixed emotions after I read this book. On the one hand, I did enjoy the concept, but on the other, it wasn’t what I expected it to. Honestly, I thought the premise of the novel will be similar to Dexter, unfortunately I was proven wrong. I really did want a novel that focused more on serial killers and their psychological thinking, instead I got a romantic novel with a slight dead body on the side.

Although, Jane’s actions aren’t excusable and I feel that the author romanticized the killings in the novel, I don’t think Jane is entirely to blame. Considering the position of women during that time and how they were treated, there really wasn’t much choice given to our protagonist. Would I have done what she did in her position? Probably not, but then I have never been cornered and faced with such realities. I guess when push comes to shove, human nature tends to shove back.

Like I said, I enjoyed the novel enough that I continued reading it. I especially loved the ending, but when you think about it, did Jane really deserve that ending? Maybe a lot of people would say no, because of the whole situation of her past, but for me, I think the cruelty that she endured as a child and young adult, I think she deserved the ending that she got.

It’s a great read, I enjoyed the wide variety of characters and even though some of them were vile, I think the author did a great job writing about people in that time period. I think I’ll want to check out more of Faye’s books.

Summer Wrap-up and Fall TBR

Summer came and went so fast that I didn’t even feel it. I admit I was stuck in the house practically the whole summer, so it didn’t seem like Summer happened at all. Also, to be honest, I really do prefer the cozies that I’ve been inhaling this whole year, so I didn’t really pick up a lot of books from different genres. That being said, I’m sad to say that I didn’t read a single book from my Summer TBR and truth be told, I actually forgot that I had a summer TBR.

Since I didn’t really have much success with my Summer TBR, I still want to do a TBR for Fall. Since here in Canada fall technically ends December 21 this TBR will be until the end of the year. Afterwards, I’ll probably post a Winter TBR in January.

For Fall, I’m going to take things slower. I won’t go crazy on the epic fantasy that I’ve been adding on my TBRs. Anyways, here are the books that I want to read before the year comes to an end.

I didn’t even realize that all these books have different shades of blue. Anyways, I’m really excited to read these books. They’re actually in my TBR for the year so I want to get to them as soon as I can. I’m hoping that I’ll at least be able to pick up and read A Court of Mist and Fury because this has been on my TBR for a while now and I just want to get to finish one series of Sarah J. Maas.

Mini Review Mondays

It’s been awhile since I posted a review for the Mrs. Jeffries series. My goal is to get them all done this year. However, its proving a bit difficult for me to stay on the path of religiously posting. This is Part 3 of the this series, and if you want to read the other two, I’ve link them here: Part 1 and Part 2.

Introduction to the series: The series takes place during Victorian England, a time period that I absolutely enjoy reading. We are introduced to Mrs. Hepzibah Jeffries the housekeeper of Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard. So you may wonder what this woman knows about crimes, well she used to be married to a cop as well and has always helped her husband while he was still alive. Along with Mrs. Jeffries, an assortment of people in the house also help her gather information to solve the case. There’s the coachman Smythe, Betsy the maid, footman Wiggins and the cook Mrs. Goodge. Along with these other characters, they are also being assisted by their friends Mrs. Luty Bell Crookshank and her valet Hatchet. All this eclectic group of individuals makes these books an amazing read. All these characters are usually present in all the books I’ve read so far. Sometimes one or two of them would be missing, but most of the time, they are present for each case.

Book 11: Mrs. Jeffries Questions the Answer

I really enjoyed this book in the series. I’m not really certain why, but I think it would have something to do with the characters. I think the plot itself is very well thought out and didn’t have a clue as to whodunnit. I’ve mentioned before that I love all the characters in this series and that’s why I keep reading them, but this book I actually gravitated to it more because of the actual mystery.

Book 12: Mrs. Jeffries Reveals her art

Where one book took me to the all time high, this one took me on the all time low. It’s not a bad read, but it also wasn’t a great read. Obviously I enjoy the characters in the novel, but the mystery itself is quite bland. For me, it wasn’t at all inventive and it doesn’t really make you think.

Book 13: Mrs. Jeffries takes the Cake

Another ok read for me. I wasn’t that much of a fan with the mystery, but you win some and you loose some. I preferred reading about the dynamics in the household rather than the actual mystery, which I feel is the reason I didn’t enjoy this as much. I would prefer cozies that has a great cast of people and at least average mystery, but for this one, I wasn’t a fan of the latter.

Book 14: Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat

This one definitely is an improvement to the last two books. I really enjoyed the mystery in this novel and had a “wow” moment during the revelations. I understand that this is the 14th book in the series and I really thought she was loosing steam, especially after the two previous books, but I feel with this one, she did an amazing job with writing the new characters and plotting the mystery.

Book 15: Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot (possible spoiler(?))

This is definitely one of my favorite in the series. I love me some serial killers. Ok, I know serial killers are not great in real life, but in novels they’re freaking amazing the read. No I don’t idolize them, but when the author write a really well written novel about it, you can’t help but enjoy reading them. I believe this is Brightwell’s first serial killer in her series and it was a very surprising addition to the whole series. I’m already down to her last book that’s out in the series and she hasn’t done another serial killer. So enjoy this one!

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So that’s it for Book 11-15 of the Mrs. Jeffries series. I really enjoyed reading these book mainly because of the characters in the book, but time to time her mystery is also amazing. I’m really sad that I’m actually “up to date” in this series because now I have to wait every year for the next one to be released.

Readathon: Frightfall TBR

As I’ve mentioned on my September Wrap-up and October TBR, I’m going to be participating in the FrightFall Readathon hosted by Seasons of Reading. When I actually saw this readathon, I didn’t realize that it’s a two month long readathon, since September has passed, I still wanted to take a stab at it for October. Obviously I’m not going to be able to read as many as others who has joined since September, but I feel that this readathon is pretty laid back. Please check out the host’s site for further details.

I believe for this readathon there’s literally only one ‘RULE’ and that’s to at least read one “scary book”, which could be a thriller, mystery, gothic novel, etc. Then for the rest of the readathon you can read as many or as little as you want. See chill, right?

Anyways, for this readathon I’m going to try some “scary” novels. I’m pretty much a big baby when it come to scary novels, but it’s still very addicting to read. Mind you I’m still going to read my cozies, but I want to include some other genres in there. Here are the books I’m inclined to read for the readathon.

I’m not really sure what any of these books are, but I heard about them from a few people on Booktube. Since, I’m not really a horror genre reader, I’m just going to take ideas from other people’s TBR. I’m keeping my fingers that I won’t get nightmares! Wish me luck! ^_^

September Wrap-up and October TBR

I can’t believe that it’s October already and our moving is almost done! I can’t wait for this whole things to be over. I haven’t been able to keep posting last month, it has been such a busy September and something had to give. I’m so sorry! I’m hoping that October will be a calmer month for me and I’ll be able to post more.

For September, I didn’t really have a TBR that I needed to adhere too. I knew that September will be crazy for me, so I decided to keep my options open. Even though I didn’t officially participate in a readathon, I technically revolved my reading choices in the Stranger Things readathon. In the beginning of September I knew I wanted to participate in the readathon, but just never got around to actually post my intention to join. Oh well, since I technically read all the books that ticks off all the challenge, I’m going to count it as a ‘done’ on my list.

Anyways, for September, I was able to finish nine books. I’m pleasantly surprised that I was able to finish that many since my schedule has been off the charts, I’m pretty proud of myself. I was also able to read a few books that are not cozies so that even more of a ‘YAY!’.

I really enjoyed the three fantasy novels that I read in September. The Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend is cute and adorable read that I’m getting more and more attached to. The word that Townsend has created is very interesting and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. As for Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, this is one of my most anticipated read for 2020. I really didn’t think I’d be able to finish this book because the first few chapters was slow from what I’m used with these two authors, but once the action started it never stopped. I hated that it did leave us with a cliffhanger, but it makes me want to pick up the next book more. I really need to read a book written by just Jay Kristoff. Finally, for A Dream so Dark by L.L McKinney, this one is a series that I didn’t realize that I would enjoy so much. I feel that it’s not talked about enough. I love the world building, the Alice in Wonderland reference, and just the writing style altogether. I have to admit, there are a few trope that’s occurring that I’m not liking very much, but overall, it’s a really good read.

I also started a new cozy mystery by Lee Strauss, that I’m enjoying a lot. I do prefer the “first” book in the series, Murder on the SS Rosa, compared to the second book, but I need to see how I’ll enjoy the next few books to determine if I will stick to it or not.

So that’s it for my September tbr. Even though I didn’t read as many books as I wanted to, I think the quality of books I did read is more exceptional than in previous months.

OCTOBER TBR

So if you’ve been here long enough, you guys definitely know that the two ‘holidays’ that I really enjoy is Halloween and Christmas. I know Halloween is not a holiday, but technically it should be. Anyways, for the month of October I’m going to try to participate in two readathons. The first one is a monthly long Readathon hosted by Seasons of Reading called Frightfall. The second readathon will be in the week of October 19-25 and it’s hosted by Books and Lala on YouTube/Twitter, this readathon is called Spookathon. I’ve been taking part of this readathon since the beginning so I always try to keep it up each year. Since book readathon has similar qualities, I think I could make it work. Click on each name for more information.

I’ll be writing separate post for those readathons. As for the rest of my October TBR, I’m most likely going to read a few more cozies. So that’s it for my wrap-up and TBR. I’m hoping the next time I post another one of these I’ll be enjoying my new place.